In Memoriam, Fall 2013

Gary Edmond Williams '57 died June 12, 2013, at age 78. Born in Iowa, he attended high school in Seattle and became an Eagle Scout at age 17. A talented artist who studied architecture, he designed his parents’ house while still a teenager. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Pacific University, he earned a master’s in business administration from Seattle University. He served briefly in the U.S. Army in the late 1950s and then began working for Kenworth Trucks. He married Eleanor Sue Turman in 1959. Williams worked as a business executive for Paccar, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the world, retiring at age 45. He continued as a business consultant and later worked as an antique dealer. He also volunteered for United Way and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. He is survived by his wife, Eleanor, his daughter Cynthia Lorraine and a granddaughter.

Pacific University Trustee Lisa Hargis '76 died July 12, 2013. Hargis received her undergraduate degree in business administration from Pacific, then worked for Oregon Mutual Insurance Company for 34 years, beginning in 1979 as an underwriter and retiring as a vice president of underwriting. She joined the Board of Trustees in 2011 and worked to guide a risk management task force. She also served as president of the Oregon Fair Plan Association, a nonprofit association supported by insurance companies licensed to write property insurance. She enjoyed boating, cooking, traveling and caring for her husband and her cocker spaniel, Murphy Brown. She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Gary M. Hargis; her parents, John and Sally Carey; and two brothers, Jay and Colin Carey. She was preceded in death by her brother, Kevin Carey.

Paul Kohl '80, faculty emeritus, died Feb. 27, 2013, following a long battle with cancer. A native New Yorker, he earned a bachelor’s degree from State University New York, Binghamton in 1973 and his doctorate in optometry from Pacific University in 1980. He then became the first teaching fellow in the College of Optometry. He went on to become a tenured faculty member, earning the Pacific University Trustee Award to Young Faculty, and then the Pacific University Distinguished Professional Faculty Award. A dedicated teacher, he served on several boards and committees at the university throughout his more than 30 years of service to Pacific. Among other achievements, he established pediatric optometric services and developed the pediatrics curriculum at the College of Optometry. He published many articles on pediatric and behavioral vision. He also provided presentations and chaired continuing education conferences for practicing optometrists. Kohl retired in 2011 and was awarded faculty emeritus status. He is survived by his wife, Cathy; daughter, Maja ’14; and son, Jesse.

Former U.S. ambassador Shirley L. Abbott '52, OD '53 died April 23, 2013, of congestive heart failure. He was 88.

An optometrist by trade, Abbott also was a rancher, a politician and served as ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho under President Ronald Reagan’s administration. He also was a devoted alumnus of Pacific University, where, in 2003, his support established the Abbott Alumni Center. In 2007, he received the Pacific University Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award.

Abbott spent his early years on a tenant dairy farm in Minnesota before moving with his family to El Paso, Texas, where he graduated from high school. He attended what is now the University of Texas at El Paso but left to join the Army during World War II. Following the war, he earned his bachelor and doctorate degrees at Pacific University.

He returned to El Paso, where he was one of the first in the region to fit corneal contact lenses. His optometric practice became one of the largest in the city. In the late 1960s, he started an optical company that later became Sunland Optical, then the largest military optical contractor in the country. He also developed apartment housing and operated farms in New Mexico, Texas and California, as well as one in South Africa with his grandson, Jason. He also was director of several local banks.

In the mid-1970s, he was appointed regional director of the Bi-Centennial Administration. He co-founded the Granaderos de Galvez, which honored the Spanish influence on the development of America. He also traveled to Spain several times as a guest of the Spanish government, was named Honorary Consul General of Spain for Texas and was granted The Order of Isabella La Catolica, the highest honor awarded to a non-Spanish citizen.

Abbott served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1977 to 1978. In 1983, President Reagan appointed him ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho, an independent monarchy in southern Africa.

In his later years, Abbott and his wife, Arline, divided their time between Texas and California. He was preceded in death by his wife. Abbott is survived by his son, Alan, a former member of the Pacific University Board of Trustees; his grandson, Jason; his granddaughter, Allison Kaelin ‘06; two great-grandchildren; and a brother, Bill.

Gordon Stanley Young died Sept. 29, 2014, at age 84. He was president of the Phi Beta Tau while at Pacific, where he earned a degree in business. He also served in the Air National Guard. He worked for 32 years at Crown Zellerbach, retiring at age 55. He went on to serve as treasurer, chaplain, vice president and president of the Gideon ministry in Washington/Northern Idaho. He traveled to distribute Bibles throughout the U.S. and Japan. He also served as chaplain of Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing and traveling. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Dorothy; son Gary; daughters Lori (and Harry) Bicknell and Karen (and Mark) Brose; seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

"Sweet William” Killion died Sept. 16, 2014, at age 78. He enjoyed a carefree childhood with his brothers and sisters, enjoying clam digging, fishing, exploring the woods and becoming a skilled hunter — activities he enjoyed throughout his life. As a young man, he was a paper boy and worked for a poultry farm. In 1956, he married Genevieve “Ginger” Moore, and they spent more than 58 years together, raising six children. He served in the Oregon National Guard and worked as a grain inspector for the state of Oregon, in maintenance for the Port of Astoria, and at Astoria Plywood, where he bought a share of the company and later served as board president. He later sold electronics, heating and air conditioning, then became a partner with his wife and son in Spartan Mortgage, where he retired in 2007. He was an avid map collector and analyzer, coached softball and Little League, and enjoyed spending time with his family. He is survived by his wife; children Randy (and Jui-Mei) Killion, David Killion, Suzanne (and Steve) Aiken, Donald (and Karen) Killion, John Killion (and Dino Pereira) and Steven Killion; 11 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a large extended family.

Ronald L. Stewart died Oct. 24, 2014, at age 78. He graduated from Tillamook (Ore.) High School, where he was a star football player. At Pacific, he earned a bachelor of arts in education, then attended Portland State University for his master’s in education. He married Nita Myers in 1978. Ron taught sixth grade, later moved to administration, and then back to teaching, in the Hillsboro School District, retiring in 1990. He enjoyed golfing daily, playing his guitar and singing. He is survived by his wife; son Gary Stewart; stepson Derek Myers; siblings Gordon Stewart, Susie Hasse and Sally Allen; in-laws Daryl Allen, Rita Smith and Robert Myers; and three grandchildren.

Judith (Devlin) Huntington died Nov. 19, 2014, at age 72. She attended Pacific University, then the University of Oregon, graduating in 1964. After graduating, she married Earl Huntington, and they had two sons, Dirk and Dana. Although the marriage ended, she and Earl remained close for more than 50 years. She worked as a realtor and was named 2007 Oregon State Realtor of the Year. She was principal broker for Barnhart and Associates. She is survived by her sons and ex-husband; daughter-in-law Jill; and four grandchildren.

David I. Williams OD died Nov. 18, 2014, at age 70. He attended Jamestown College, where he met his future wife, Mary Landes, who he married in 1965, and earned a degree in biology and physics in 1966. After graduation, the couple moved to Forest Grove, where he earned his doctor of optometry degree. He enlisted in the U.S. Army as a captain in the Medical Service Corps, stationed as an optometrist at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, NY. In 1972, he purchased an optometry practice and moved to Astoria, Ore. where he practiced for 42 years. His wife, Mary,
died in 2008, and he married Sue Malinen in 2010. He enjoyed spending time with family, fishing, bird hunting and woodworking. He built his home and office building and said if he hadn’t been an optometrist, he would have been a carpenter. He was a member of the Astoria Lions and Rotary clubs and a sponsor of Ducks Unlimited. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary, and brother Rodney Williams. He is survived by his wife Sue; children Kirk (and Jean) Williams and Michelle Williams; stepchildren Nate, Sarah and Caleb Malinen; seven grandchildren; a brother and several nieces and nephews.

Donald Garris OD died Sept. 14, 2014, at age 64. He completed his undergraduate studies at Linfield College in 1972, and married Stephanie Mattoon in 1976. The couple moved to Forest Grove shortly thereafter, where he attended Pacific University and they raised a family of four daughters. He ran his own practice in Portland for 32 years and also served on the Oregon Board of Optometry, of which he was vice president for three years. He was an avid golfer and fan of the Portland Trailblazers and Oregon State football. He is survived by his wife Stephanie; daughters Melissa Garris (and Mike Wormington), Bryn (and Sean) McCleary, Lara (and Casey) McCabe and Justine Garris (and Adrian Sifuentes); grandchildren Jesse and Ella Garris and Madeline McCabe; parents, Arlene and Bob Jackson; and siblings Gayle Behrend, Daniel Garris and Roanne Purkey.

Siobain “Chevy” Ryan died Sept. 6, 2014, at age 48. She double majored in journalism and communications with a minor in sports medicine and was a soccer captain at Pacific. She also enjoyed basketball, volleyball, softball, tennis and golf. She worked in film production for Gary Adams Productions on a number of projects, including ones that won an Emmy Award and a Parents Choice Award for Excellence. She later worked with Craig Henderson Films and went on to become a freelance editor and producer and to work alongside her father at Pro-Met Machining. She was preceded in death by her grandparents. She is survived by her mother, Deirdre; father Tony (and Janet); brothers Eamonn (and Allison) and Brenden (and Heidi); nephews Declan, Ian and Patrick; niece Makailan; aunts Ann, Joan, Georgina, Margo (and Dieter) and Maire (and Steve); and a clan of cousins in the United States and Ireland.